Sedum plant named ‘Wildfire’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of  Sedum  plant named ‘Wildfire’ characterized by its variegated foliage that emerges with a tri-color look of green, pink and yellow in the spring and turns bright shiny cherry red in color with bright orange-pink margins as it matures in full sun with color retention throughout the entire growing season, its heavy branching with branches from every leaf node along the stems producing a mounded groundcover-type plant habit with no open centers and that does not flop in the summer, and its large inflorescences that are pink in color and appear in late summer.

Botanical classification: Sedum hybrid.

Variety denomination: ‘Wildfire’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Sedumplant, botanically of hybrid origin and known as Sedum ‘Wildfire’ andreferred to hereinafter by its cultivar name, ‘Wildfire’. The newcultivar of Sedum is a hardy herbaceous perennial grown for use as alandscape and container plant and is particularly suitable as agroundcover.

The Inventor discovered the new cultivar in November of 2013 as anaturally occurring branch mutation of Sedum ‘Firecracker’ (U.S. PlantPat. No. 26,595) that was growing in a 72-cell plug tray at his nurseryin Hudsonville, Mich.

Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished by stemtip cuttings in March of 2014 in Hudsonville, Mich. Asexual propagationby stem tip cuttings has determined the characteristics to be stable andreproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the characteristics of the new cultivar. These attributes incombination distinguish ‘Wildfire’ as a unique cultivar of Sedum.

-   -   1. ‘Wildfire’ exhibits variegated foliage that emerges with a        tri-color look of green, pink and yellow in the spring and turns        bright shiny cherry red in color with bright orange-pink margins        as it matures in full sun (yellow edges when grown in shade)        with color retention without fading throughout the entire        growing season.    -   2. ‘Wildfire’ exhibits heavy branching with branches from every        leaf node along the stems producing a mounded groundcover-type        plant habit with no open centers and that does not flop in the        summer.    -   3. ‘Wildfire’ exhibits a very vigorous vegetative bud production        when entering winter dormancy in early November with at least 50        new growth buds in a 30-cell plug.    -   4. ‘Wildfire’ exhibits large inflorescences that are pink in        color and appear in late summer.

The parent of ‘Wildfire’, ‘Firecracker’, is similar to ‘Wildfire’ inhaving similar inflorescences and in plant habit. ‘Firecracker’ differsfrom ‘Wildfire’ in having leaves with no variegation that are solid redin color. ‘Wildfire’ can be most closely compared to the Sedum cultivar‘Lime Twister’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 26,895) and the Sedum spuriumcultivar ‘Tricolor’ (not patented). Both cultivars are similar to‘Wildfire’ in having variegated foliage and in having a moundedgroundcover-type plant habit. ‘Lime Twister’ differs from ‘Wildfire’ inhaving foliage that is green in color with margins that are creamyyellow-white in color, in having a plant size that is 20% smaller, inhaving leaves that are 30% smaller in size and in having flowers thatare lighter pink in color. ‘Tricolor’ differs from ‘Wildfire’ in havingleaves that is blue-green in color with margins that are creamywhite-pink in color, 75% smaller in size and thinner in substance, inhaving a plant height that is 40% smaller, and in having inflorescencesthat are smaller in size, lighter pink in color and an earlier bloomingperiod.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceand distinct characteristics of the new Sedum. The photographs weretaken of a plant about 5 months in age (from a 30-cell plug) as grownoutdoors in a 1-gallon container in Hudsonville, Mich.

The photograph in FIG. 1 provides a view of the foliage of ‘Wildfire’ inspring.

The photograph in FIG. 2 provides a view of the plant habit and foliagecoloration of ‘Wildfire’ in summer through fall when grown in full sun.

The photograph in FIG. 3 provides a close-up view of the inflorescencesof ‘Wildfire’.

The colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color valuescited in the detailed botanical description, which accurately describethe colors of the new Sedum.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new cultivar as observedon 3 month-old plants of ‘Wildfire’ as grown outdoors in two-quartcontainers in Hudsonville, Mich. The phenotype of the new cultivar mayvary with variations in environmental, climatic, and culturalconditions, as it has not been tested under all possible environmentalconditions. The color determination is in accordance with The 2015R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England,except where general color terms of ordinary dictionary significance areused.

-   General description:    -   -   Blooming period.—5 weeks in mid to late summer in            Hudsonville, Mich.        -   Plant type.—Herbaceous perennial.        -   Plant habit.—Spreading mound, ground-cover, well-branched.        -   Height and spread.—Reaches an average of 15.3 cm in height            and about 45.7 cm in spread as grown outdoors in a            one-gallon container.        -   Hardiness.—At least hardy in U.S.D.A. Zones 4 to 9.        -   Diseases pest.—High resistance to Sedum foliage blight            caused by Colletotrichum spp.), no occurrences have been            observed in the last 4 years of observation.        -   Root description.—Fibrous, 199D in color.        -   Propagation.—Stem cuttings and division.        -   Growth rate.—Vigorous.        -   Root development.—An average of ten days for root initiation            and about eight weeks to produce a young rooted plant in a            72-cell plug.        -   Drought tolerance.—Highly drought tolerant.-   Stem description:    -   -   Stem shape.—Oval.        -   Stem size.—Basal and secondary branches; an average of 8 cm            in length and 2.5 mm in width.        -   Internode length.—Average of 8 mm with terminal leaves            whorled (<0.5 mm).        -   Stem color.—182A on new growth, 178A on mature growth.        -   Stem surface.—Glabrous.        -   Branching habit.—Numerous basal branches (about 20 in a 2-qt            container) and at least 50 new growth buds are observed in a            30-cell plug when entering winter dormancy.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Leaf shape.—Elliptic.        -   Leaf division.—Simple.        -   Leaf arrangement.—Opposite (sometimes whorled).        -   Leaf base.—Cuneate.        -   Leaf apex.—Broadly acute-rounded.        -   Leaf venation.—Not conspicuous, color matched leaf color.        -   Leaf margins.—Entire to very slightly undulated.        -   Leaf attachment.—Sessile.        -   Leaf orientation.—Primarily horizontal and held flat.        -   Leaf substance.—Thick, succulent.        -   Leaf surface texture.—Glandular and very slightly glaucous.        -   Leaf color.—Spring upper and lower surface; a blend of 147A            with margins 158A to 158B, mid-summer and fall upper and            lower surface, N187A and slightly suffused with 147A with            margins 182A.        -   Leaf size.—Average of 2.8 cm in length and 1.7 cm in width            when mature.-   Flower description:    -   -   Inflorescence type.—Dense, slightly rounded cymes with an            average of 4 terminal forked branches at terminus and upper            lateral nodes.        -   Inflorescence size.—An average of 3.3 cm in depth and 5.5 cm            in width.        -   Lastingness of inflorescence.—At least one month.        -   Flower type.—Perfect, 5-starred.        -   Flower number.—An average of 65 flowers per branched cyme.        -   Flower fragrance.—None.        -   Flower buds.—Conical in shape, an average of 4.2 mm length            and 2.3 mm in diameter, ribbed surface, color; 155C suffused            with N74B to N74D.        -   Flower size.—An average of 3 cm in depth and 5 mm in            diameter.        -   Peduncles.—Round in shape, up to 2 cm in length, an average            of 1 mm in width, secondary peduncle; 7 mm in length and 0.7            mm in width, both strong and flexible in strength with            glabrous and shiny surfaces, color; 139B heavily suffused            with 178A, peduncle leaves; fleshy, an average of 2 per            individual cyme, elliptic in shape, entire margins, acute            apex, cuneate base, an average of 5.5 mm in length and 2 mm            in width, color; 138A heavily suffused with 61A especially            at the apex, smooth, shiny, and minutely scaberulose upper            and lower surfaces.        -   Pedicels.—Round in shape, an average of 4 mm in length and            0.5 mm in width, color; N138B and lightly suffused with 61A,            strong and flexible in strength, glabrous and minutely            scaberulose surface, pedicel leaves; irregularly distributed            1 per pedicel when present; an average of 1 mm in length and            0.5 mm in width, elliptic in shape, entire margins, acute            apex, cuneate base, color; 138A very heavily suffused with            61A especially at the apex, smooth, shiny, and minutely            scaberulose upper and lower surfaces.        -   Sepals.—5, lanceolate in shape, entire margin, acute apex,            truncate base, an average of 2 mm in length and 0.8 mm in            width, color of inner and outer surfaces; N138B to N138C            suffused with 61A, glabrous and smooth on both surfaces.        -   Petals.—5, rotate to upright, elliptic to oval in shape,            truncate base, acute apex, entire margin, about 3 mm in            length and 1.5 mm in width, color of inner and outer            surfaces when opening; a blend between N155B and 70D, color            of inner and outer surfaces when mature; 75B, glabrous and            shiny on both surfaces.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Pistils.—5, showy, held erect, about 2 mm in length, stigma;            minute, about 0.2 mm in length and 83A in color, style;            lanceolate in shape, an average of 1.8 mm in length and 0.5            mm in width, a blend of 70A to 70D in color, ovary; small,            single celled and translucent in color.        -   Stamens.—10, an average of 3 mm in length, filament; very            fine and a mix of 70A to 70D in color, basifixed anther;            about 0.5 mm in length and width and 187A in color, pollen            is low in quantity and too minimal for color determination.        -   Fruit and seed.—Has not ben observed to date.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Sedum plant named‘Wildfire’ as described and illustrated herein.